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1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.4.198876632“Activism is not Terrorism” – Philippineshttps://mcsun.org/news/2020/activism-is-not-terrorism-philippines/
https://mcsun.org/news/2020/activism-is-not-terrorism-philippines/#respondSat, 06 Jun 2020 05:07:03 +0000https://mcsun.org/?p=17178In the midst of a global pandemic and borderline race-war in the United States, the Philippine government is attempting to pass a law under its people’s noses that would essentially designate any form of activism as terrorism. It’s called the Anti-Terror Bill of 2020, or House Bill 6875, and it grants absolute power to the …

]]>In the midst of a global pandemic and borderline race-war in the United States, the Philippine government is attempting to pass a law under its people’s noses that would essentially designate any form of activism as terrorism.

It’s called the Anti-Terror Bill of 2020, or House Bill 6875, and it grants absolute power to the Philippine government in defining terrorism as any actions they so please. It would allow law enforcement and military personnel to conduct warrantless arrests for virtually any dissent towards the government, including donating/helping relief drives that aren’t government/state-recognized, participating in a rally or any movement that can cause a “serious risk to public safety”, sharing any posts related to “terrorist activities”, and even meeting with one’s friends (for they might be plotting an attack on the government together). Any citizen who is accused of “terrorism” under these specifications can be killed or placed in jail for 12 years-life imprisonment. No one will be exempted from government surveillance – all texts, emails, phone calls, and social media activity will be monitored. This bill violates Article 2 Section 11, Article 3 Section 8, Article 3 Section 13, Article 3 Section 18, and Article 3 Section 19 of the Philippine Constitution.

“Silence means something is wrong, activism is not terrorism” | Art by @kaartsyanne on Twitter

In the Philippines, all bills have two versions – one created by the Senate, one by the House of Representatives. After both have voted, a bicameral conference is held in which differences in the versions are reconciled and one bill is formed. The bill is then submitted to the President for approval. On May 29, the House decided to adopt the Senate’s bill, avoiding the bicameral conference and creating a clear path for the President to approve the bill immediately. On June 1, President Durterte declared this bill “urgent”, in an attempt to fast track its approval before Congress goes into recess. Senate President Tito Sotto says the anti-terrorism bill is ‘as good as passed’ following the President’s designation of the bill as urgent.

Citizens in the Philippines have stated that the bill is in its last stages and only needs to be signed by President Durterte to be law. The government has used this time in which BLM and COVID-19 monopolize the news to author and pass this bill as quickly as possible, and citizens worry that there is not enough international attention on the matter to stop the President from signing the bill.

The site junkterrorbill.carrd.co includes updates on the bill’s status, petitions to sign to slow/halt the passing of the bill, email templates to express opposition of the bill, and places to donate to those affected both by this bill and COVID-19.

]]>https://mcsun.org/news/2020/activism-is-not-terrorism-philippines/feed/017178Partisanship is Destroying Voter Rightshttps://mcsun.org/opinions/2020/partisanship-is-destroying-voter-rights/
https://mcsun.org/opinions/2020/partisanship-is-destroying-voter-rights/#respondSun, 24 May 2020 22:26:31 +0000https://mcsun.org/?p=17151When the Founding Fathers wrote the Constitution of the United States they outlined that they wanted to “establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity”. A touching message to be sure. To accompany this “perfect Union” many of …

]]>When the Founding Fathers wrote the Constitution of the United States they outlined that they wanted to “establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity”. A touching message to be sure. To accompany this “perfect Union” many of the Founding Fathers wanted nothing to do with the idea of partisanship. With the state of politics in today’s society, many can certainly understand why.

Partisanship is fundamentally toxic. The creation of the two-party system established opposing camps within a supposedly unified country. Of course many on both sides rally to hollers of “Patriotism” and “Democracy”, but their agreement practically ends there. While many would disagree with this, the objective of each party is to defeat the other. Each side wants to have more of its members in power in order to increase the odds of enacting real change for their agenda without having to face opposition. This mentality is best seen in the phrase “vote blue no matter who” where many Democrats subscribe to the notion that “no matter” the Democrat being put forward to represent the party, they would be better than any other candidate. This ideology completely ignores any policy points that the proposed nominee could have in favor of a completely thoughtless loyalty.

The two-party system resembles a never-ending tug of war, with both the left and the right constantly tugging to make the other side let go. With Democrats appearing to be moving further to the left, Republicans also appear to be moving further to the right, helping to grow the distance between the two groups creating a chasm with the word “bipartisanship” situated at the very bottom of this abyss.

Of course, this conversation includes the so-called moderates, the hypocrites in the middle who tout bipartisanship. However, they really want the same thing as everyone else on their side of the aisle, to defeat the other side. They are shallow fools who believe their message is easier to swallow, but really just lack the courage to stand up for their beliefs. In reality even America’s so-called “progressives” are considerably less radical and revolutionary than their overseas equivalent. Policies such as universal healthcare were revolutionary to many European states decades ago, and yet, within the United States they are a policy still considered radical.

However, amongst all the hypocrisy, lunacy, and slow progression that helps make up American politics, there are certain issues that shouldn’t be subjected to divisive politicization, but should be treated as fundamentally protected rights. Enfranchisement is one of them.

While at this point in American history, all people have a right to vote, it is still disproportionately difficult for certain communities to enact that right. Primarily, these communities are those of color or of low-income status (although these two typically intertwine). In the 2016 presidential elections, African American voter turnout was about 59.6% of its total populace of eligible voters and Latino turnout was about 47.6%, according to the US Census Bureau. While some of these percentages can be attributed to people abstaining from their right to vote, it is extremely unlikely that this many people would choose to abstain. The reality is that many simply do not have access to these facilities and therefore are unable to exercise their rights. Yet, despite all this, meaningful government policy helping to ensure greater voter turnout has not been enacted, simply because enfranchisement has become a partisan issue

In 2020, the need for enfranchisement policy is all the more imperative. The effects of the coronavirus pandemic have already shown negative results for the primaries, and with the possibility of a COVID-20 resurgence in the fall/spring season, it is imperative now more than ever that adequate enfranchisement policy is enacted. This does not simply mean absentee ballots either.

According to The Columbus Dispatch, about 1.76 million Ohio voters have asked for an absentee ballot out of a registered 7.77 million. That’s about 22% of voters for a primary that is almost exclusively mail-in due to the pandemic. Governments are asking people to choose between their health and their right to vote rather than supplying the necessary equipment to allow them both.

President Donald Trump | Photo Courtesy of the LA Times

Despite the very apparent need for reform, the policies will likely not come under this presidency. President Trump has recently tweeted on the subject of guaranteeing absentee voting saying “[…] no Republican is ever to be elected again!”

If the Republican leaders believe that allowing an increased number of people to vote will kill their chances of winning elections then their party should cease to exist. The U.S touts its status as a world leader, so it is time to prove it by passing legislation that protects voters.

]]>https://mcsun.org/opinions/2020/partisanship-is-destroying-voter-rights/feed/017151Animal Crossing: The Perfect Quarantine Experiencehttps://mcsun.org/entertainment/2020/animal-crossing-the-perfect-quarantine-experience/
https://mcsun.org/entertainment/2020/animal-crossing-the-perfect-quarantine-experience/#respondSun, 24 May 2020 22:22:48 +0000https://mcsun.org/?p=17145Animal Crossing: New Horizons, the newest entry in Nintendo’s beloved Animal Crossing series, was released on March 20th, 2020 during a time when almost the entire country was settling down into their homes for a very long quarantine. The premise behind Animal Crossing is an odd one. Essentially, the player moves to a small empty …

]]>Animal Crossing: New Horizons, the newest entry in Nintendo’s beloved Animal Crossing series, was released on March 20th, 2020 during a time when almost the entire country was settling down into their homes for a very long quarantine.

The premise behind Animal Crossing is an odd one. Essentially, the player moves to a small empty town (or in the case of New Horizons, an island town) overrun by weeds and trees with only a few humanoid animal neighbors to keep you company. The player then must build this scrap of land into something they can call home. The game even puts the player into extensive in-game debt to a tanuki (Japanese for racoon dog) named Tom Nook who supplies the player with pretty much everything they could need. From this standpoint, Animal Crossing appears to be more of a life simulator than anything else. However, looks can be deceiving, and underneath that premise lies something so much more therapeutic and fun than one might think.

Part of the game’s charm is noticeable from the very first moment. The extraordinarily cute artstyle featuring polished, smooth textures and smiling, vibrant colors mimics a warmth similar to that of a hot coffee on a cold rainy day.

In game footage of Animal Crossing | Photo Courtesy of Nintendo

Animal Crossing’s appeal also manifests itself in the game’s extensive design elements. From the avatar to the environment you inhabit, Animal Crossing: New Horizons gives the player complete freedom to create an ideal experience.

With over 30 hairstyles and 16 hair colors to choose from(excluding the surplus of wigs available) as well as a nearly endless amount of clothing, allows extensive customization options for the player. The clothing itself is an entire facet of the game as you can both buy clothing from in-game shops and design your own clothing including accessories such as hats. If designing clothes does not appeal to you, players can search the internet for QR codes created by other players and scan them with the Nintendo Switch Online App to receive other clothing.

Island customization is another key feature within the game. For the first time in the series history, players are allowed to place items outside their homes. This opens up the entire world allowing the player to set up cafe tables to chat in the morning with their animal neighbors or street lamps to light the night. This adds a more complex element to the game as the player must think of fun and interesting ways to decorate the island beyond just planting flowers or trees like in the old game. This feature also allows all islands to feel unique as no one player will design the exact same island as another with the same items.

Another special aspect of the game that makes it different from most life simulations is that it runs in real time. This means the player can watch a sunrise or sunset from their island with all their animal pals.

Speaking of your animal pals, New Horizons has over 402 animals, each with a different personality and art design. However, the game limits your neighbors to ten at a time, but animals consistently move in and out of the village when they grow tired of it. Players even have the option to harass a particularly vexing neighbor making them want to leave even faster. The process of which animals end up on your island is mostly random, but with the new addition of the Nook Mile (a new currency that has been added in addition to the games traditional Bell) players can fly to deserted islands and randomly find animals to talk to there. If the player likes the animal they find they can recruit them to be their next island resident, however, the feature costs in-game money meaning many will simply leave it up to chance.

Some animal pals | Photo Courtesy of iMore

Nintendo has even added a multiplayer functionality where players can visit each other’s island residences and hangout or collect items. While it would have been nice to have multiplayer minigames worked into the online functionality, visiting other people’s towns is still a nice feature as the player can marvel at the creations of others or collect resources that they may not have on their own island such as different kinds of fruit.

Some beloved features from previous games have returned as well. Writing letters to your island residences or friends is one of them. This feature allows the player to write loving or even harsh notes to whoever they please with a gift attachment as an option.

In a time where most of the world is stuck inside, Animal Crossing has given many a creative design outlet and some much-needed joy in a time when many are stuck at home. New Horizons allow players to craft their own game experience giving some control to the player during a time when many feel they have little.

]]>https://mcsun.org/entertainment/2020/animal-crossing-the-perfect-quarantine-experience/feed/017145Nike’s Contributions to COVID-19 Reliefhttps://mcsun.org/sports/2020/nikes-contributions-to-covid-19-relief/
https://mcsun.org/sports/2020/nikes-contributions-to-covid-19-relief/#respondFri, 08 May 2020 08:34:35 +0000http://mcsun.org/?p=17129As the coronavirus pandemic progresses, citizens around the world are encouraged to stay home and minimize their contact with the outside world. To ensure the safety of individuals and those around them, governments, doctors, well-known figures, and large organizations have made specific contributions in order to properly endorse this proposition. Various influential corporations have put …

]]>As the coronavirus pandemic progresses, citizens around the world are encouraged to stay home and minimize their contact with the outside world. To ensure the safety of individuals and those around them, governments, doctors, well-known figures, and large organizations have made specific contributions in order to properly endorse this proposition.

Various influential corporations have put their efforts towards supporting the treatment of this virus and those affected by it. In particular, Nike, a multinational sports apparel and equipment company, has gone above and beyond in promoting safety measures for the public and raising awareness during this crisis.

The Nike Company promotes their commitment to their employees, communities, and everyone else involved with their business. To show their support, the company has allocated over $17.5 million to those capable of helping during this time. This money has been put towards supplying medical care and food assistance, funding efforts by the World Health Organization (WHO), and assisting local organizations that serve urgent needs in the U.S., China, and parts of Europe.

To encourage its employees to contribute towards resolving this global matter, Nike is providing a two-to-one match for any employee-made donation to a community organization. For every employee-donated dollar given to a community organization, Nike will donate two.

Protective Face Shields Produced and Donated by Nike | Photo Courtesy of news.nike.com

The shortage of necessary resources across the globe has led Nike to put their efforts towards restocking some of these preventative items. To ensure the safety of medical professionals working with infected patients, Nike has begun providing personal protective equipment in the form of full-face shields and powered, air-purifying respirator lenses. These protective features have been donated by Nike to many health systems U.S.-wide.

Providing support in the form of healthcare assistance and proper masks has helped citizens all over the world. As helpful as this may be, what many people need right now is emotional support and the motivation to continue as they were before while still obeying the current restrictions. With this in mind, Nike is using their social media and technological platforms to motivate people across the globe to stay safe and stay fit. Through their many apps and social platforms, Nike is offering a variety of at-home workouts for all different types of athletes. For those in the mood to stretch out with a quick yoga session, or feel the burn from a hardcore HIIT workout, Nike readily offers the resources necessary.

As COVID-19 spreads and increasing amounts of people suffer, the support from organizations around the globe have a massive impact on the progression of this virus and those struck by its consequences. To help get life back to normal and ensure the safety of the international masses, all one can do is stay healthy, donate where they can and encourage themselves and others to ‘play inside, play for the world,” Nike.

]]>https://mcsun.org/sports/2020/nikes-contributions-to-covid-19-relief/feed/017129The consistent pay gap between essential and nonessential workershttps://mcsun.org/opinions/2020/the-consistent-pay-gap-between-essential-and-nonessential-workers/
https://mcsun.org/opinions/2020/the-consistent-pay-gap-between-essential-and-nonessential-workers/#respondWed, 06 May 2020 00:47:28 +0000http://mcsun.org/?p=17082“We stay here for you; please stay home for us.” These ten words have been trending on social media, news platforms, and billboards across the country, reminding us all that essential workers are bearing the brunt of this pandemic. Health care workers, trash collectors, cashiers, Uber drivers, gas station workers, and many others are care …

]]>“We stay here for you; please stay home for us.” These ten words have been trending on social media, news platforms, and billboards across the country, reminding us all that essential workers are bearing the brunt of this pandemic. Health care workers, trash collectors, cashiers, Uber drivers, gas station workers, and many others are care workers; they provide for the rest of society 24 hours a day, 365 days a year whether it be in a hospital or a grocery store. Unfortunately, it took a worldwide pandemic for them to gain the spotlight, and even now the government is unwilling to dish out its appreciation in the form of green currency.

Essential workers across the country are peacefully protesting wage stagnation during the pandemic | Photo Courtesy of wcvb

Though their jobs are considered ‘essential’, the workers currently running the economy are getting the short end of the stick. Most get paid minimum wage while being disposable resources to the majority of employers as the supply of these jobs is much lower than the demand. Even during a pandemic, wages have remained stagnant as the necessity of essential labor has increased. With the virus becoming more widespread by the hour, many essential workers have been dealing with both a financial burden and rising safety concerns. Though risking their health is an inevitable part of the job, the monetary shortage can easily be alleviated by working toward a redistribution of wealth.

A combination of factors has contributed to the gradual dissipation of the middle class including deregulation of businesses, job outsourcing, and a plummeting income tax for the extreme upper class. Some of these issues have worsened under the Trump administration for the sake of remaining competitive in a modern global economy.

For example, the Trump administration cut the top individual tax rate down from 39.6% to 37%. A bill enacted in 2018 went so far as to cut down corporate tax rates from 35% to 21% according to TheBalance. Shifting the tax burden has benefitted large businesses at the expense of essential workers though the majority of Americans do not belong to the top 1, 2 or even 10%.

Top 5% of taxpayers receive more than half of the final Trump-GOP tax bill’s benefits | Photo Courtesy of the Institute of Taxation and Economic Policy

Working towards a narrowed pay gap is a long term goal which the nation should begin striving towards, but legislation takes months, even years to reverse, and essential workers need help now. With funding tight and many people out of a job, it is easy to argue that a conglomeration of underpaid workers is inevitable amid a substantial lack of resources. Alas, the central issue does not involve a lack of resources but rather a well-intentioned, misguided effort by the government to use them correctly.

The stimulus bill instituted by Congress in early April increased unemployment insurance benefits by $600 per week, the same as working 40 hours a week for $15 an hour, according to Bloomberg Opinion. The thought process behind this bill is easy to follow; with businesses shutting down across the nation, many workers need some form of cash flow to fall back on and a stimulus bill resolves the matter at hand. Despite this, the negative consequences of enacting such a bill far outweigh the positives.

The stimulus bill provides the unemployed with close to minimum wage, but only if an individual had been laid off. This is extremely unfair to minimum wage workers forced to risk their personal well being in grocery stores and gas stations because their employers cannot afford to let them go.

To compensate, many companies have tried to increase wages, but their first priority is keeping customers happy. If pay increases, prices will follow, and many consumers are suffering economically as well.

Michael Svetlik has worked at the Piggy Wiggly on Broad Street for nine years. Even during a pandemic he remains loyal to the store though wages have not increased | Photo Courtesy of the Sumter Item

Additionally, there is no limit on annual income to qualify for the stimulus check. This means that unemployed workers from high-paying jobs are receiving money even if the amount is inconsequential to their savings.

Beyond this, the extra $600 are not sustainable for those who need it, such as nonessential restaurant servers. Paying for rent, groceries, and other necessities on a minimum wage is close to impossible in America.

The government has also instituted the $2.2 trillion CARES Act which promises $1,200 to both the unemployed and employed. Though there is a cutoff for those who are able to receive the money, it is simply too high. A head of household making as much as $136,500 is eligible for a small part of the stimulus check even though an essential worker would need it more.

If we want to start reducing the pay gap between essential and nonessential workers, the first step is Congress going back to the drawing board and formulating a bill which will increase pay without any unintended consequences. For example, making qualifications for stimulus checks more rigid would effectively allocate money from those who do not desperately need it to those who do.

However, some believe a stimulus bill is unnecessary.

A commonly held misconception is that the economy is better left alone, and therefore Congress’ efforts on a stimulus bill are going to waste. With a worldwide pandemic, the stock market is expected to fall and take salaries right along with it. After a vaccine is found, the stock market will pick itself back up and wages will follow suit. Unfortunately, this possibility is highly unlikely and even a ‘normal economy’ includes a substantial, widening pay gap between the upper and lower class.

Minimum wage workers have always worked hard despite lackluster rewards. The hardships many currently face, however, may push them to the limit. If these workers go on strike and refuse to carry out their essential duties, the economy will suffer more. The national bank has already been hit hard by COVID-19. If it comes out of this pandemic only to be knocked down by a worker’s strike, it may never recover.

As one retail worker put it in an interview with Vox, “Honestly, I kind of just wish if we’re considered essential, maybe we’d be paid essential.” All across the nation, essential workers are bagging groceries, delivering mail, and curing the sick while the rest of society remains at home. America runs on minimum wage work and it took a pandemic to realize it. Words of kindness can only do so much; if America wants to keep running, the pay gap between rich and poor has to be something this nation is running from, not towards.

]]>https://mcsun.org/opinions/2020/the-consistent-pay-gap-between-essential-and-nonessential-workers/feed/017082How COVID-19 Could Impact the Futurehttps://mcsun.org/news/2020/how-covid-19-could-impact-the-future/
https://mcsun.org/news/2020/how-covid-19-could-impact-the-future/#commentsWed, 06 May 2020 00:14:30 +0000http://mcsun.org/?p=17073The COVID-19 outbreak has caused numerous citizens emotional pain and suffering, killed a large portion of the world, and has created a situation in which many economic, social, and health-related problems could arise. For now, the main goal is to keep the international population as safe as possible. However, it has recently been brought to …

]]>The COVID-19 outbreak has caused numerous citizens emotional pain and suffering, killed a large portion of the world, and has created a situation in which many economic, social, and health-related problems could arise. For now, the main goal is to keep the international population as safe as possible. However, it has recently been brought to light what other coronavirus-related dangers could pop up in the future.

The coronavirus has shut down many businesses that have not been deemed essential. Although they may not be needed during this crisis, these companies have an underlying purpose that may eventually be essential to the public. With many large hospitals taking in all of the infected patients, small medical practices, such as Pediatric West, a pediatric urgent care in Westford, Colorado, have been forced to temporarily close. This short-term closure and loss of months worth of paying customers will cause many of these medical companies to shut down permanently. At this time, some hospitals are being reserved for patients suffering from the coronavirus and others are available only for crucial cases. With medical practices like Pediatric West closing down for good, the population will be left without medical centers for simple checkups and vaccinations. This opens up the possibility for another, or even several, outbreaks to occur soon after this one dies out.

The lockdown has also closed numerous “safe spots” that citizens would usually retreat to when in need of help. The closure of many domestic abuse shelters, such as the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA), due to the coronavirus has led to an increase in domestic violence. Because many people are working at home or have even become recently unemployed, abusive family members are spending more time with their relatives and seem to have more built up anger as their jobs and monthly salaries are taken away. As abusers take out their aggression on their loved ones, in a normal circumstance, the abused family members would attempt to escape to a nearby shelter, but with many of them closed at this time, these individuals are stuck at home facing more violence. The shelter closures give these mistreated family members nowhere to go and no successful way of getting away.

“We found social factors that put people more at risk for violence are reduced access to resources, increased stress due to job loss or strained finances, and disconnection from social support systems,” Psychologist Josie Serrata PhD said. “With this pandemic, we’re seeing similar things happen, which unfortunately leads to circumstances that can foster violence.”

Adolescent Mental Health Statistics | Photo Courtesy of medium.com

For young teens, this social isolation will not only cause increased boredom, but could lead to future psychological disadvantages. Kids between the ages of ten and nineteen tend to be more susceptible to anxiety and depression as it is, and this separation from other adolescents could exacerbate these existing psychological problems, or even reduce their comprehension level of nonverbal emotional signals. At the start of 2020 amid the coronavirus pandemic, the nonprofit organization Mental Health America monitored the increase in clinical anxiety. With their screening data, the company was able to identify a 19 percent increase in the first weeks of February and another 12 percent increase in the first two weeks of March.

The coronavirus and the shutdown that accompanies it has led to mass discomfort and fear of the future. The virus has created a large sense of uncertainty going into the rest of the year and into peoples’ lives in general. There are a variety of ways that COVID-19 has and could change the world, but during this unprecedented time, there is only one way to know what and how things will differ; to wait and see.

]]>https://mcsun.org/news/2020/how-covid-19-could-impact-the-future/feed/117073Today marks 50 years since the Kent State Massacre- how far have we come?https://mcsun.org/opinions/2020/today-marks-50-years-since-the-kent-state-massacre-how-far-have-we-come/
https://mcsun.org/opinions/2020/today-marks-50-years-since-the-kent-state-massacre-how-far-have-we-come/#respondMon, 04 May 2020 22:18:45 +0000http://mcsun.org/?p=1706850 years ago today, four students at Kent State University were murdered and nine injured when the Ohio National Guard opened fire on a nonviolent protest opposing the Vietnam War. The protests had begun on campus on May 1, and by the afternoon of May 3, one thousand Ohio National Guardsmen were at the school. …

]]>50 years ago today, four students at Kent State University were murdered and nine injured when the Ohio National Guard opened fire on a nonviolent protest opposing the Vietnam War.

The protests had begun on campus on May 1, and by the afternoon of May 3, one thousand Ohio National Guardsmen were at the school. On the day of the massacre, three thousand protestors and spectators had gathered by 11 A.M., then Ohio National Guard General Robert Canterbury ordered for the crowds to disperse, and the students refused. Upon their refusal, the Ohio National Guard fired tear gas at the protesters, then began to retreat up Blanket Hill, a hill between the protesters and a football field. Once they reached the top, 28 guards fired into the crowd for 13 seconds. 70 shots, four deaths, nine injuries, and lifelong trauma.

“No one knew the national guard had real bullets. We were completely shocked. It just never occurred to anyone that they would actually have bullets to shoot people. It may sound naive but we talked about that for years afterwards,” said then student Lou Capecci.

The massacre had not even been a thought on the horizon for students at Kent State. There was a sense of trust established between the National Guard and the students — a general understanding that they had been called to keep the protests under control, but were mostly there as a sense of intimidation. On this day, 50 years ago, the Ohio National Guard shattered this trust.

Today, and every day, Americans honor the memory of Jeffrey Miller, Allison Krause, William Schroeder and Sandra Scheuer — four students who were proud to be standing up against a war they felt was unjust. Miller, before his death, wrote a poem about the Vietnam War entitled “The War Without End”. The last lines read, “But all the frightened parents who still have their sons / fear that / the end is not in sight”. That day, Miller’s parents lost their son to the very violence he condemned. That day, the nation failed him.

“The War Without End” by Jeffrey Miller | Photo courtesy of Kent State University

Following the massacre, the majority of Americans threw their support behind the National Guard. Those who protested the Vietnam War had been deemed un-American by the U.S. government as officials fed propaganda into citizens’ homes. Due to this, the public believed the National Guard was doing their job effectively and keeping peace when they murdered the four students. Following the massacre, a civil suit was filed by the injured students and their families, which was settled by the National Guard for $675,000 nine years later.

The National Guard then released this statement, “In retrospect, the tragedy… should not have occurred. The students may have believed that they were right in continuing their mass protest in response to the Cambodian invasion, even though this protest followed the posting and reading by the university of an order to ban rallies and an order to disperse. Some of the Guardsmen on Blanket Hill, fearful and anxious from prior events, may have believed in their own minds that their lives were in danger. Hindsight suggests that another method would have resolved the confrontation,”.

An order to ban rallies and disperse goes directly against the first amendment, which grants citizens the freedom to assemble. It does not matter that the university had ordered otherwise, due to the fact that this was a nonviolent protest and the students were well within their constitutional rights when they decided to assemble. There was also no reason to justify Guardsmen being fearful for their lives. They were the ones armed, whereas the students were staging a peaceful, unarmed, protest. This is something that will never be forgiven, and the Guardsmen should have been prosecuted following this brutal day. Yet, they were not.

5o years have passed since this dark day in history, and to be quite frank, America hasn’t come very far. March 2020 was the first March without a school shooting since 2002 due to schools currently being closed, and police brutality occurs frequently in our nation. America continues to involve itself in unjust wars, having never learned from Vietnam. Recently, in an interview with Rolling Stone, Kent State massacre survivor Joe Walsh stated, “It was a long time ago but the reason it is so important and should be remembered is because history repeats itself — and we are as divided as a country now as we were then”. Though the nation is not currently divided over a war as detrimental as Vietnam, there are a multitude of political issues that demand individuals choose a side. It seems that the “grey area” we once found our morality residing, no longer exists — everything must be black and white or your opinion will be deemed irrelevant. Progress can only be achieved through unity, and Americans must come together to create the peace many have been advocating for throughout their lives.

As Jeffrey Miller stated so powerfully in his poem, “The War Without a Purpose marches on relentlessly”. While this was written to describe the war in Vietnam, it can be applied to America’s unhesitant violence present today. It is time Americans bring this violence to an end, and encourage the nation to examine the principles it was founded on —life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

]]>https://mcsun.org/opinions/2020/today-marks-50-years-since-the-kent-state-massacre-how-far-have-we-come/feed/017068All American For the Winhttps://mcsun.org/entertainment/2020/all-american-for-the-win/
https://mcsun.org/entertainment/2020/all-american-for-the-win/#respondMon, 04 May 2020 00:00:27 +0000http://mcsun.org/?p=17060CW’s All American went from one of their channel’s least-watched shows to number one on Netflix within four months. Since Netflix allowed for a wider audience to stream the teen drama, people are loving it. Featuring a raw depiction of the struggles faced by Americans of color, in addition to an enticing storyline, All American continues …

]]>CW’s All American went from one of their channel’s least-watched shows to number one on Netflix within four months. Since Netflix allowed for a wider audience to stream the teen drama, people are loving it.

Featuring a raw depiction of the struggles faced by Americans of color, in addition to an enticing storyline, All American continues to pull in viewers everywhere.

The show follows Spencer James, played by Daniel Ezra, an intelligent football phenomenon who was doing his best in South Crenshaw, a crime ridden area that faces economic disadvantages and racism, when Coach Billy Baker, played by Taye Diggs, recruits him to come play for Beverly Hills High instead. Spencer is hesitant at first, but ends up taking the deal with a forceful nudge by his mother, Grace James, played by Kamirah Westbrook. He ends up moving in with the coach, his wife Laura and their two children: Olivia, the school outcast due to a drug addiction and lengthy trip to rehab, and Jordan, Spencer’s teammate and eventual close friend.

All American cast | Photo courtesy of Best Movie Cast

Upon relocation, Spencer soon realizes he must start his football career from rock bottom as his previous reputation at Crenshaw holds no ground within the pristine, polished Beverly Hills. He is forced to acclimate into the culture and play for the predominantly white Beverly Hills team although his heart is back in Crenshaw.

The people around Spencer in Beverly Hills, especially Coach Baker and his family, break their bubbles as they get closer with Spencer, especially Jordan and Olivia.

The more familiar they become with Spencer’s struggles the more they realize how sheltered they are from the many experiences other people of color living under the poverty line have to go through due to their social status. With encounters of unprecented police brutality, racial profiling, and overall blatant racism, the audeince is given a glimpse of the many struggles of black americans.

All American not only addresses racial and economic struggles, but also depicts the effects of a demanding society on developing teenagers. This can be seen through Olivia Baker’s drug and alcohol abuse, and Spencer’s love interest, Student Council President, and daughter of big time music producer, Layla Keating’s depression.

The show is unique in that it addresses real world problems, by focusing on the perspective of people going through them. It’s a dramatic and charming show that’s still able to remain relevant by creating a much needed platform to discuss the struggles of marginalized communities of color.

]]>https://mcsun.org/entertainment/2020/all-american-for-the-win/feed/017060TikTok Violates Privacy and Encourages Hatehttps://mcsun.org/opinions/2020/tiktok-violates-privacy-and-encourages-hate/
https://mcsun.org/opinions/2020/tiktok-violates-privacy-and-encourages-hate/#respondSun, 03 May 2020 03:38:32 +0000http://mcsun.org/?p=17053With over eight hundred million users, TikTok is the social-networking hub for teenagers everywhere. It’s a video-sharing service created by ByteDance, a Beijing based company founded in 2012 by Zhang Yiming, that is used to create short lip-sync, comedy, and talent videos. In 2017 TikTok was launched for iOS and Android, aimed at markets …

]]>With over eight hundred million users, TikTok is the social-networking hub for teenagers everywhere. It’s a video-sharing service created by ByteDance, a Beijing based company founded in 2012 by Zhang Yiming, that is used to create short lip-sync, comedy, and talent videos. In 2017 TikTok was launched for iOS and Android, aimed at markets outside of China, and has since earned many comparisons to the former viral comedy app, Vine.

Although at first glance TikTok seems like a harmless source of entertainment, it’s actually far from that.

To start, TikTok’s copyright policies completely infringe on its users’ privacy. When users agree to the terms and policies, they are agreeing to a complete take over of their device’s data.

The following statement was put on the TikTok website under ‘Information We Collect Automatically’.

“We automatically collect certain information from you when you use the Platform, including internet or other network activity information such as your IP address, geolocation-related data, unique device identifiers, browsing and search history, and Cookies,” TikTok said.

This means that upon downloading the app, TikTok automatically gains access to the user’s images, messages, and data about other apps. It also tracks the sites that TikTok users visit, their search history, keystrokes, and even location. Although it may seem like such an invasion of privacy that no one would feel comfortable keeping it on their phones, it’s quite the contrary. Gen-Z’s culture is heavily reliant on TikTok, as it is the most used and the most entertaining. It’s easy to dismiss imperceptible privacy issues when the app is so addicting and entertaining at the same time. The only ones to take real action and call this privacy issue out as it is are the people at the Pentagon. Due to how violating the app is, they have banned the use of TikTok on government phones.

“It is considered a cyber threat. We do not allow (Tik Tok) on government phones,” Army spokeswoman Lt. Col. Robin Ochoa said.

TikTok’s controversy stems far beyond its privacy issues, as it also possesses a systematic favoritism of skinny and ‘beautiful’ creators by the TikTok developers, which has led to the popularization of videos with euro-centric and sometimes unrealistic beauty standards. According to internal documents obtained by The Intercept, the App’s developers instructed moderators at the headquarters in China, to suppress the content of users deemed too poor, ugly, or disabled for the platform. These same documents prove that moderators were also told to censor political speech in TikTok live streams, punishing those who harmed “national honor” or broadcast streams about “state organs such as police” with bans from the platform.

Comments on Madison Beer’s TikTok | Photo courtesy of Twitter

A comment by one user that received one hundred seventeen thousand likes read, “I’m not hungry I’m not hungry I’m not hungry I’m not hungry,” was posted under a video of 21-year-old American singer Madison Beer dancing. The singer has opened up about how bringing yourself down isn’t a compliment, and that such comments can in fact ruin someone’s confidence and self-esteem. She responded to the user by saying, “bb, eat please, remember everyone has different body types & yours is beautiful. I hate these comments! EAT PLEASE (and drink your water).”

This constant pattern of users self-deprecating in an attempt to compliment others has created a toxic environment. Viewers are left hating their bodies due to the lack of body and racial diversity in the content being presented to them, and the creators are faced with bitterness and are left feeling guilty for being confident enough to post about themselves.

TikTok has made no efforts to change their privacy policy, or better the experience of its users in that people can express themselves with no toxic backlash.

TikTok is an addictive social networking platform that is spreading nothing but hate and emotional misery. The cancel culture on TikTok is more aggressive than anywhere else, including the hostile people on twitter, and has done considerably more harm than good. It’s common for females on the app to get canceled by means of receiving an intense stream of hate, despite the fact that some have sincerely apologized for their ignorance, for using derogatory racial slurs or disrespecting other religions.

However, the ‘attractive’ male creators who use derogatory terms and racial slurs regularly and have not apologized, are facing little to no repercussions for the actions. The mindset of the moderators of TikTok has spread to its users in that the judgment of creators is completely physical. Once someone is deemed cancelled, there is no coming back no matter how much they’ve changed, unless they are ‘attractive’ enough to be forgiven.

Charli D’amelio | Photo courtesy of TigerBeat

Such an environment has led some big creators like the most followed person on TikTok, Charli D’amelio, to make videos and write tweets ranting about how their fame isn’t worth the hate. It wasn’t until people actually responded to the hate they were getting that others began to grasp how dangerous their comments can be. While some have stopped, the majority hasn’t.

TikTok may serve as a source of entertainment, but it’s cons outweigh its pros. Before opening the app, one must decide if compromising their mental health and privacy is worth it for some fifteen second videos.

]]>https://mcsun.org/opinions/2020/tiktok-violates-privacy-and-encourages-hate/feed/017053The Most Ignorant COVID-19 “Victims”https://mcsun.org/opinions/2020/the-most-ignorant-covid-19-victims/
https://mcsun.org/opinions/2020/the-most-ignorant-covid-19-victims/#respondSun, 03 May 2020 02:51:55 +0000http://mcsun.org/?p=17048Written by staff writer Prisha Puntambekar While basking in the luxuries of her $14 million net worth, Vanessa Hudgens spread a peculiar message about COVID-19 on Instagram Live. “I’m sorry, but, like, it’s a virus, I get it. I respect it. But at the same time, even if everybody gets it, like, yeah, people are …

While basking in the luxuries of her $14 million net worth, Vanessa Hudgens spread a peculiar message about COVID-19 on Instagram Live.

Vanessa Hudgens | Photo courtesy of Fox News

“I’m sorry, but, like, it’s a virus, I get it. I respect it. But at the same time, even if everybody gets it, like, yeah, people are gonna die, which is terrible but, like, inevitable?” she said to 39 million followers. Upon receiving backlash for her comments, Hudgens claimed that her statements were used out of context. According to Forbes, Hudgens never clarified what ‘said context’ was.

Meanwhile, in an ill-advised attempt to spread cheer, Gal Gadot and other celebrities created a cover of “Imagine” by John Lennon. Viewers of the tragic video took to Twitter to express disgust with the celebrities – most of whom were anything but singers. The loathed cover not only sounded horrific but provided no service to struggling communities during the COVID-19 situation. Stars of the video, such as Will Ferrell, possess over a hundred million dollars in net worth.

Celebrities involved in cover of “Imagine” | Photo courtesy of WJBQ

Fans were frustrated with the A-listers for using nonexistent singing abilities rather than their bank accounts to assist the pandemic. From a place of privilege, the stars were capable of more impactful actions to benefit the situation. Although the celebrities meant well, their art generated more publicity than healing. Many celebrities took to Twitter, criticizing the uselessness of the cover.

“Hey celebs, we don’t want to be sung to. We want you to use a million or two of your money and order ventilators, masks, and gloves from the manufacturers then donate them to a hospital. Or pay for the salaries of an entire staff at a bar, restaurant, or daycare,” Actress Casey Cipriani stated on Twitter.

Although other stars are taking action through donations, the insensitivity of some displays the privilege of higher economic classes; in times of international weakness, they choose to prosper in their own greedy bubble of safety.

When a country is founded on the base of capitalism, morals become nonexistent; the brighter lusts of wealth and success steal the attention of today’s citizens. According to Teen Vogue, capitalism builds off of greed in order to function. As capitalism teaches citizens to prioritize money above all else, their greed turns to selfishness – as shown with the celebrities. Having enough money, access to COVID-19 treatment becomes effortless and the stars can afford to thrive in ignorance. Subsequently, America receives a disgraceful tribute to John Lennon – with an ironic message of peace and hope – rather than relief funds during an emergency situation.

Americans must find a balance between prioritizing wealth and moral values. When a nation refuses to educate children on helping one’s neighbor, it’s – in Vanessa Hudgens’ words – “like, inevitable” they will become similar to the actress: a 31-year-old with more money than compassion.